Balloting-box for fraternal orders.



H. BRAASH.

BALLOTING BOX FOR FRATERNAL ORDERS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1910.

1,063,111, i Patentd M3,y27,1913.

L l v 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

coLuMn'lA PLANOGRAPH co.wASH|NGToN, D. c.

H. BRAASCH.

BALLOTING BOX FOR FRATERNAL ORDBRS..'

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1910. 1,063, 1 1 1 Patented May 27,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH Co.,w^sHxNGTON. D, c,

@9m/UAA. l

HENRY BRAASCH, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

BALLOTING-BOX FOR FRATERNAL ORDERS.

Application filed July 25, i910.

Specification ef Letters S'Patent Be it known that l, HENRY BnAAsoi-i, a citizen of the United States, residingat Los A, fieles. in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a nenT `nd useful Balloting-Box for Fraternal lrders, of which the following` is a specifi ation.

T he object of this invention is to provide a simple. certain, safe and convenient ballotinn' box by which the ballot is determined b v the casting; of black and white balls and in which box there is no possibility of mixingV the balls or of accidentally misvoting` or of intentional fraudulentA voting, and by means of which the result of the vote can be at once exp d to all the members of the lodge w ien the presiding` oiiicer inspects the vote.

The accompanying,` drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure l is a perspective view of the ballot box ready for voting. arts are broken `wav to expose interior parts. Fig'. 2 is broken view of the box at the inspection of the voto. Fin'. 3 is a plan view omitting the top of the box and the cover with the spools and ratchet wheels, and showing; part of the internal mechanism set for casting; a white ballot. The normal position of such mechanism is shown in dotted lines. Fig'. 3 is a franfmen'tal plan showing' the pawl at rest. Fin'. lis a longitudinal sectional elevation mainly in section on line indicated by a, Fins. 2, 3 and 5, showing the mechanism at the moment of casting a white ballot. Fie; 5 is a cross sectional elevation coaxial of the spools on line 035, Figs. el and 6. Fig'. G is a broken side elevation of one of the spools.

The balloting` box comprises a case which is formed of a floor l, two side walls 2, i, a rear end wall al, a stationary7 front crossbar 5, a central cross-bar 6, a hinged lid 7 and a cover S.

ln some instances the rear end of the case is formed with a movable section 9, which may be swung` by hinges l0 from the back of the floor l, so that if it is not desired to expose the vote to the members of the lodge, the vote may be inspected by the presiding ofiicer alone.

The case be of any suitable material and the cover top in some instances may be made of sheet metal bent into semi-cylindrical form and provided with front and rear flanges and 13, a latch lll being` pivoted by a screw l5 to the central cross-bar 6 and adapted to swing; over the flange 12 to secure the cover to the rest of the case. Said cover may be provided with a handle 1G by which the balloting box may be carried when the cover is latched and by which the cover may be removed when it is unlatched.

The lid l is composed of a top piece 17, and a front piece 1S. The top piece 17 is provided with a transverse sight slot 19 and the front piece lits upon the top of the front cross-bar 5 to close the front of the vote indicator chamber which is formed beneath the level of the lid and above the front cross-bar, Said front cross-bar may be made of two horizontal pieces 20, 21, the upper piece 2l being a metal plate and the lower piece 20 beine` provided with two forwardly widened `grooves 22, 23, to form guides to guide the forwardly extending arms 24v, 95 for the spherical black and white ball vote indicators 2G, 27, which indicators are operatable by linger pieces 28., 29, that extend below the level of the front crossbar and that are accessible, when the lid is closed, to the fingers of the right hand of the voter inserted underneath the front stationary bar 5.

The linger pieces 28, 29, are normally held retracted by resilient means in the forni of a spring 30 made of a wire bent into W form. The center loop 81 of the W spring; is fastened by a screw 32 to a standard which supports the black and white ball arms 24, 25, a switch pawl 3ft, and a pin 35. A strap 36 on the standard 33 extends over the indicator arms 24, 25, to secure them in place and to allow each to slide freely forward upon the manipulation of its finger piece, and backward responsive to the pressure of the spring. rlhe ends of said spring,` extend up through the finger pieces and arms and project upward above the same to receive the black and white ball vote indicators 26, 27, thus securing said indicators in fixed relation to the finger pieces and the black and white ball indicator arms, respectively.

The switch pawl 34 has a forward central point 37 that l:normally stands directly behind the switch pin 35. rllhe voting arms 24, Q5, are pivoted at opposite sides of the mid-length of the switch pawl, by pivots 38, to the switch pawl 34. Side posts 39 set in the standard 33 prevent the arms 24, 25 from moving too far laterally.

lWhen either vote indicator is moved forward by its finger piece, the switch pawl will be held by one of the pivots 38 and will rotate on said pivot to move the forward point 37 to thatside of the pin 35 which is away from the arm that is being actuated; and the rear portion ofthe switch pawl will swing toward that side of the box in which the actuated arm located. The switch pin 35 is engaged by the pawl as shown in Fig. 3 to cause the pawl to be shifted upon the actuation of the finger-pieces.

The black and white ball spools 40, 4l, are carried by a shaft 42, which is mounted in the frame 43 that is fastened to the under side of the cover S. The shaft 42 may be an ordinary stove bolt inserted through the frame and having the tension adjusting nut 44. The shaft may also have a spacer 45 surrounding the bolt between the nut and the bolt head. Tension springs 46 are arranged between the spools and the head and nut of the bolt, respectively, so that when the nut is tightened said springs press the spools against' the frame, thus to produce suliicient friction to prevent spinning of the spools. rihe bolt freely slides through the spacer and the spacer prevents screwing the nut too tight.

rlChe spools may be constructed as shown, of a central body 47 and inner and outer spool plates 48, 49. The inner spool plates 48 are formed with ratchet teeth 50 to be engaged by the switch pawl 34, and the parts are so arranged that. when the switch pawl is shifted by the operation of one of the linger pieces it will swing into a notch of the spool plate pertaining to such finger piece. rock shaft 5l is journaled on the standard 33 and is provided with a cam 52 underneath the switch pawl 34 and is provided with an external handle outside the boX and is so arranged that when the handle 53 is manipulated the switch pawl will be raised.

The switch pawl is provided with notches 54 to allow the pawl to escape the teeth of the spools when the pawl is in normal position.

then the switch pawl is shifted by the movement. of one of the linger pieces the pawl will enter between two of the teeth of the spool; and thereupon the handle may be manipulated to operate the cam and raise the switch pawl, thereby rotating the spool the space of one tooth.

A, guard 55 for the handle 53 outside the box determines the amplitude of the movement of the handle and prevents the pawl from being moved too far. VEhe rock shaft is provided with an arm 5G to actuate a spring hammer 57 of a bell 58 at an appropriate time after the movement of the handle 53 has begun; so that the operation effected by moving the handle forward while one of the linger pieces is held forward by the voter, is to lift the switch pawl, thereby rotating the appropriate voting spool and ringing the bell. The constructor may relatively position the lever and arm and hammer 57 so as to ring the bell at any point during the stroke of the lever.

lllhen the linger pieces are both free, the switch pawl is held centrally by the black and while ball indicator arms 24, 25, and will not engage either of the voting spool ratchet wheels and consequent y the handle may then be operated to ring the bell without moving either of the voting spools. The arms 24, Q5, are resilient and form springs that i ry be bent up as the pawl is raised, and will serve to return the switch pawl to normal position when the handle is thrown baclr into normal position.

The roch shaft may be made of a piece of wire bent at one end to form the arm 5G and bent into an intermediate loop to form the cam bent exteriorly to form the handle 53 which may be provided with a knob 59.

The orices GO in the side of the box to allow the rock shaft to be inserted may be large enough to admit the rock shaft by turning the same aiipropriately for this purpose, and the standard may be provided in its top with a notch 6l to accommodate the shaft, and said shaft may be secured to the standard by bearings G2, G3, which may be fastened to the standard in any suitable way, as by screws rllhe hammer i? may be a wire bent to form an intermediate loop 65, and said hammer is lined to the case by any suitable means as by screws G6 screwed into the standard near the base thereof, thus bringing the loop 65 behind the arm 56 when the handle is retracted to normal position and allowing the ar i to escape the linger formed by the loop at the middle of the actuating movement of the handle as shown in dott-ed lines, Fig. 4 and allowing the arm to pass the finger when the handle is retracted to normal position. The bell 58 may be fastened to the side of the case in any suit-able manner, and is so positioned that waen the hammer is release(L by the arm passing the finger it will strike the bell.

llpon each of the spools 40 and 4l is wound a string of voting balls, the left hand spool 40 being provided with a string of black balls and the right hand string 4l being provided with a string of white balls.

Asaid arms, shanks, rivets and finger pieces .of the white ball indicator, thus assuring rlhe strings are fastened at one end to their l respective spools and the frame 43 is provided with 'orices 68 vertically below the rear sides of the spools, respectively, so that as a spool is unwound, a string and a ball on the string will move do-wnward through an oriiice.

On the free ends of the strings 69, 70, respectively, are large terminal balls 71, 72, that are of greater diameter than the width of the orifices through which the strings extend so that they cannot be drawn up through the orifices and therefore form stops to prevent too great winding movement of the spools.

The strings may be flexible connections of any desired construction or material, and along said strings there are arranged at intervals corresponding to the spaces bet-ween the teeth of the spools, voting balls 73, 74; the voting balls 73 on the black side being black, and the voting balls on the white side being white. The outer plates 49 of the spools may be stamped and struck up to form two diametrically opposite outwardly projecting wings 75, 7G, to serve as linger pieces by which the spools may be rotated for the purpose of winding the strings of balls.

The shanks 77, 78, of the linger pieces 28 and Q9 may be fastened to the black and white ball arms 24, 25, respectively, by any suitable means as the rivets 79 and 80, and

may be appropriately colored to assist the voter in determining what vote he is effecting.

ln order to avoid confusing` the voter, the shank and arm pertaining to the black ball side is white and the shank and arm pertaining to the white ball side is black, so that when the voter looks down through the slot he will note a white shank on the black ball side and a black shank on the white ball side. T hen, in case he deems the candidate a right person to be elected he will advance the right finger piece, t-hus bringing the white ball vote indicator 27 into view through the slot and at the same time withdrawing the black shank from view so that there will only be exposed the white shank and the white ball vote indicator, thus assuring him that he is voting the white ball. rlfhereupon he will manipulate the voting handle thereby operating the mechanism to unwind one white ball from the white ball spool. 1f, however, he deems the candidate an unfit person and one who should be left outside the lodge, he will pull forward the left linger piece, thus moving the white shank out of sight and the black ball vote indicator Q5 into sight through the slot so that as he looks through the slot he will see only the black ball indicator and the black shank him that he is about to cast a black ball ballot. Thereupon he will manipulate the handle and thus actuate the mechanism to unwind one black ball from the spool.

It is the rule in lodges to exclude any candidate who receivesl a limited number, say two or three, black balls, so that it is not necessary in order to exclude a member that there shall be a large number of black balls provided, and it is only necessary, therefore, in inspecting the ballot to determine whether a number of black balls has been voted suflicient to exclude the candidate. It is desirable, however', that a requisite number of votes be noted in order to give concealment to the personality of the members voting the black balls, and this is effected without the necessity of voting a white ball by every member who votes favorable. Therefore, the proper balloting may be effected by providing the spools wit-h a limited number of balls, say twentyfive, more or less, for each string, and a corresponding number of ratchet teeth may be provided on each spool; and at the spaces which come adjacent the switch pawl after the last ball has been lowered through the frame, an extra wide notch 81 will be provided so that the pawl when actuated will no longer actuate the spool, and therefore, the strings cannot be again wound up until the spools are withdrawn from the case for that purpose.

The voters are able to alternatively actuate the ai'iirmative or negative balloting mechanism so long as the requirements of the balloting demand such actuation and when the purpose for which the balloting is being had is thus effected the balloting may, to all appearances, be continued in the same manner indefinitely.

When the voting has been finished and the ballot box is placed in the possession of the presiding o-iiicer, if it is desired that the vote shall be inspected by the lodge, the presiding oiiicer will unlatch the cover and withdraw the frame with its spools thereon from the case and by inspecting the depending balls the vote is at once apparent to all.

1n case it is desired that the presiding otiieer alone shall inspect the vote or that the members in the lodge room shall not receive the announcement of how many black balls have been cast, the presiding oliicer may open the rear end of the case and thus privately inspect the result of the vote. Then it is desired to return the ballot box to its initial position, this is readily done by withdrawing the frame far eno-ugh to allow the thumb piece of the spools to be manipulated to wind the spools, thus at once restoring the box to voting condition and thereby saving all confusion and liability of error in replacing the balls.

It is understood that the strings are nonstretchable; that the bodies are fixed at regular intervals therealong; that the bodies may be of any desired color and form; those of one string being differentiated in any suitable way from those of the other string; and that cubes or other bodies may be used in place of the spherical bodies without any change in the construction of the spools or other parts.

l claim l. A ballot box provided with two strings; balloting members strung on said strings and flexibly connected thereby, the balloting members of one string being differentiated from those on the other string, and means whereby the balloting members may be moved into position to indicatea vote cast.

2. A ballot box comprising two spools, strings on the spools `respectively, balloting members strung on one of said strings, balloting members strung on the other of said strings, and means to rotate the spools alternatively to indicate the vote.

3. A ballot box comprising two spools, strings on the spools respectively, balloting members strung on one of said strings, balloting members strung on the other of said strings, means to rot-ate the spools alternatively to indicate the vote, said means being operable only by the manipulation of two elements, one of which is concealed and the other exposed to view.

l. A ballot box comprising two spools, strings on the spools respectively, balloting members strung on one of said strings, balloting members strung on the other of said strings, means to rotate the spools alternatively to indicate the vote, said means being operable only by the manipulation of two elements, one of which is concealed and the other exposed to view; one of said elements being a concealed finger piece and the other element being an exposed handle.

5. A ballot box comprising a case provided with an opening through which the fingers of the voter may be inserted, strings inside the case, balloting members strung on one of said strings, balloting members strung on the other of said strings, a handle, finger pieces, one for each of said strings and means between the finger pieces and the strings whereby the manipulation of the finger pieces in conjunction with the operation of the handle will move one of the strings to eect the casting of the vote.

6. A ballot bo-x comprising a case, a frame removable from the case, strings of balloting members adapted to depend from the frame to indicate the vote cast, and mechanism in the case to actuate the vote-indicating mechanism.

7. A ballot box comprising a case and a frame removable from the case, vote-indicating' mechanism carried by the frame and capable of being exhibited when the frame is removed from the case, mechanism in the case to actuate the vote-indicating mechanism, said actuating mechanism comprising means to be actuated by the fingers of one of one string being differentiated in any hand and means to be actuated by the other hand; simultaneous manipulation of both said means being necessary in order to actuate the vote-indicating mechanism.

8. The combination with two spools, of ratchet wheels on the spools, strings of flexibly connected balloting members on the spools, a pawl, arms pivoted to the pawl on opposite sides of the mid-line thereof, means to actuate the arms independently of each other and a pin to be engaged by the pawl to cause the pawl to be shifted upon the actuation of either finger piece.

9. A ballot box, two strings, ballo-ting members strung on one of said strings, balloting members strung on the other of said strings, the balloting members of one string being differentiated from those of the other string, means w iereby the balloting members may be alternatively moved into posit-ion to indicate a vote cast, means to conceal the balloting members, and means to withdraw the balloting members from concealment.

l0. A ballot box, two strings, balloting members strung on one of said strings, balloting members strung on the other of said strings, the balloting members of one string being differentiated from those of the other string, means whereby the balloting members may be alternatively moved into position to indicate a vote cast, means to conceal the balloting members, means to withdraw the balloting members from concealment, and means to wind up the strings when said balloting members are withdrawn from the concealing means.

l1. A ballot box, two strings, balloting members strung on one of said strings, balloting members strung on the other of said strings, the balloting members of one string being differentiated from those of the other string, means including concealed finger pieces and an exposed handle whereby the balloting members may be alternatively moved into position to indicate a vote cast, means to conceal the balloting members, and means to withdraw the balloting members from concealment.

12. A ballot box comprising two spools, strings on the spools respectively, balloting members strung on one of said strings, balloting members strung on the other of said strings, and pawl and ratchet means to rotate the spools alternately to indicate the vote.

13. A ballot box comprising two spools, strings on the spools respectively, balloting members strung on one of said strings, balloting members strung on the other of said strings, and pawl and ratchet means to rotate the spools alternatively to indicate the vote; there being concealed linger pieces and an exposed lever to actuate the pawl and ratchet means.

1&1. In a ballot box, a standard, spools provided with strings of balloting members and l also provided with ratchet teeth, a switch pin, a pawl on the standard, said pavvl having a forwardly central point, resilient arms pivoted to the pawl on opposite sides of the middle line thereof, said pawl terminating at the point between said arms, springs to actuate the arms to hold the pawl in normal posit-ion with its point directly behind the pin, finger pieces to actuate the arms alternatively to engage t-he pin, thus to shift the pawl into position to engage the ratchet wheels alternatively, and means to raise the pawl when so shifted.

15. A balloting box comprising a case provided with a slot, vote indicating means, mechanism in the case fo-r actuating the vote indicating means, and vote indicators connected with said mechanism and adapted to be alternately brought into view beneath the slot to indicate to the voter the character of the vote being cast.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 9th day of July, 1910.

HENRY BRAASCH.

In presence of JAMES R. TOWNSEND, OLIVE DIFFENDERFER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

Correction in Letters Patent No. 1,063,1 1 l.

It is hereby `eertiied that in Letters Patent No. 1,063,111, grant-ed May '27, 1913, upon the application ot' Henry Braasoh, of Los Angeles, California, for an improvement in Balloting-Boxes for Fraternal Orders, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 4, strike out line 71; and

that the said Letters Patent should be read with this Correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the ,ease in the Patent Oice.

Signed and sealed this 12th day of August, A. D., 1913.

[SEAL] E. B. MOORE,

Commissioner' of Patents. 

